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Thursday, February 14, 2013

A Reminder About "Fluff" in VBS - What It Is and What It Is NOT!

Well, my 2013 VBS reviews are almost finished - I still am waiting for Go Fish and Group's 3-Day kit to arrive and will add them to my reviews as soon as they get here. Just like last year, you will find reviews on individual VBS resources and a side-by-side comparison chart. I also had posts covering all things VBS, from recruiting, training and promoting your VBS to additional ways to make use of these resources.As my reviews wrap up, I do want to remind you about "fluff" in VBS. Each year there are publishers who like to say their VBS resources "bring the Bible back to VBS", but when I review the resources I find the Bible in all of them. So, I thought I'd take a moment to consider once again what "fluff" is . . . and what it is not.What "fluff" is . . .

in the past I received a VBS kit from a publisher which didn't even include Bible lessons. The lessons were all about getting along, encouraging one another, sharing, etc, but they did not even refer to the Bible. In my opinion, this is "fluff". Yes, we want to teach our children to get along, encourage one another and share, but it is more important to teach children how to know and walk with Jesus in their everyday lives every day. (I did NOT include this kit in my review)

What "fluff" is NOT . . .

when a Bible lesson is taught in a non-traditional way with activity and creativity, this is NOT "fluff". If you engage children in the Bible lesson by having them act as King Nebuchadnezzar, Shadrach, Meshach, Abdnego and the guards and then focus on the Bible application . . . this is NOT fluff. This is intentionally engaging children so they remember, understand and can live God's Word for changed lives.

a VBS resource with a stronger focus on application and service is NOT "fluff". Some VBS resources have a stronger focus on evangelism and others focus on application for children who already are Christians - I personally like to see both as most children at a VBS are church kids and most of them are already Christians, so a focus which will help them grow in their walk is a great focus for VBS. There are however; always children at a VBS who are not yet Christians, so I believe the evangelism aspect also needs to be part of VBS. If a resource focuses more strongly on application, this does not make it "fluff".

We know children - and adults - do not understand things they do not remember. We know they do not live things they do not understand. We know lives are not changed if we do not live God's Word, so if a curriculum resource uses non-traditional teaching to intentionally engage children so they remember, understand and live God's Word for changed lives, this is NOT fluff.

It is true some publishers tend to utilize a more traditional approach to teaching the Bible lessons, but this does not mean publishers who utilize non-traditional teaching methods only have "fluff" in their materials. I read through each lesson, each activity in every VBS resource I review. I'm very happy to say all the VBS kits in my review solidly focus on God's Word in the teaching of the Bible lesson and in each activity station! It is clear great attention and commitment is given by each publisher in connecting all parts of each day's lesson to God's Word. So, as you make your VBS choices, you can know all the resources I review focus on solidly teaching God's Word!

Ministry-to-Children.com

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The FTC requires people, such as myself, who write blogs and review product to disclose where the product came from and if it was given to them for review purposes. All curriculum, resources, items for my "Family Pick" and items I review for specific posts/articles are given to me by their publisher and/or manufacturer for free for review and/or give-away purposes. I do not work for any publishers - or other companies - and will do my best to give an un-biased review of the items I review. After my review, I give most of the curriculum to churches to use in their ministries and have drawings among the people who have "liked" and or "followed" my blog with the facebook and follow buttons on the blog for the "Family Pick" give-away items. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising"